ohmidog!

Two Rottweilers from Schaumburg — whose owner reported them stolen 11 days earlier — were found safe Monday, pretty much right under the feet of employees at the concrete contracting firm that is their home.

An employee of the company, outside Chicago, heard whining coming from a drainage system on the property. Employees ran a camera through the drainage pipe and located 6-month-old Trixi and 1-year-old Bosco.

“We had to break up our front drive to get access to the manhole to get ‘em out,” an employee said.

Employees think the dogs chased an animal into the drainage system, which flows into a creek on the property.

Other than being hungry — they reportedly lost 15 pounds each — the dogs were reported in good condition, except for some paw injuries.

Chaining dogs has been outlawed in Durham, N.C.

After two years of haggling, the Durham County Commissioners approved the measure Monday night. It goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010. Only warnings will be issued from Jan. 1 to June 1, 2010, the Independent Weekly reports. 

Tethering is defined as tying or fastening a dog outdoors on a rope, chain or other kind of line and leaving him unattended — and in addition to the physical injuries it can cause a dog, it’s not too good for his psyche, either.

The Durham law also mandates a minimum amount of space for dogs — those less than 20 pounds must have at least 100 square feet of unobstructed space; dogs more than 20 pounds must have at least 200 square feet.

Nearly 75 residents spoke at a hearing on the proposed law Aug. 25, with most favoring the ordinance. Some opposed it, fearing it would lead to people who couldn’t afford fences setting their dogs loose.

Durham County Animal Control Director Cindy Bailey said the majority of animal cruelty cases she has seen resulted from tethering. ”We educate until its absurd and people aren’t working with us at all,” she said. “We have to have different rules to play by.”

The Commission has asked local nonprofit animal groups to raise funds to help purchase fences for animals whose owners cannot afford them. The Coalition to Unchain Dogs, the Durham-based group whose work is depicted in the video above, already has built fences for more than 100 animals.